Do it Tony. It certainly will not hurt to try this out for yourself.Originally Posted by Tony
Normally I would agree with this, but I have been in my particular league for 24 years now. Sure when I joined I was a 150's bowler and got better over the years. I am saying in my case, I was stuck on an average in the mid to upper 170's/low-mid 180's for almost 14 years. I, like you Aslan, thought I was destined to bowl this avg for life. I then dropped my ball weight a pound in a half and shot up to a 194 then 197. To me that is dramatic. Plus the fact that some very good bowlers have noticed how much better my form and ball rotation is now. I "feel" better when I throw the ball. That trickles down to just about everything in my game. I never claimed to be a "vdub" or "mwhite", I just know that I worked on my game for years and couldn't get over the hump into the 190's.
To me, this is not me just improving over time. People are sometimes scared to try new things and have lighter balls as a "BAD THING FOR BOWLING" etched in their brain. That's cool. Keep throwing that 16 Lb equipment and hopefully the coaching lessons will make up the difference.
**By the way, not to pi*s off the heavy ball weight enthusiasts even more, but my ball(s) actually weighs 13 Lbs 14 oz after drilling.
Last edited by bubba809; 05-14-2015 at 07:06 AM.
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Do it Tony. It certainly will not hurt to try this out for yourself.
I am a proud member of Bowlingboards.com bowling Forums
Finally weighed my ball the other day with a digital scale at home. Comes out to 14 lbs 1 oz
I already know your answer to this statement/question…but I think the above comment, while it has definite validity especially in a curmudgeon dominated sport like bowling, doesn't take into account that 30 years ago if there was an internet and if there was a bowling board, the "experts" would be united in their belief that 16# balls carried better.
The belief has changed over time and I feel it's now a reverse scenario where all the experts tout 15#. So do we believe the experts now or then? Are egss good for us or bad for us? Whats worse for us: gluten, saturated fat, carbohydrates, fructose?
Opinions vary…and I bet Rob will say they've changed in bowling due to modern equipment (vs 30 years ago)…BUT…thats why we test things. Thats why there's a bowling robot arm. We have a hypothesis…we attempt to prove that hypothesis false. We generate data and we evaluate that data. The 'data' that has been generated over the past 30 years has shown the entry angle improvement of lighter balls is preferable to the carry advantage of heavier balls. However, if 15 > 16…then is 14 > 15? Is 13 > 14? Etc..? I haven't seen much data on that but I gotta think that at some point the deflection will have a negative effect. If that were false…we'd see a LOT more pros throwing 14lb or lighter.
But it's such a complicated topic. Kind of like axis tilt versus axis rotation. There probably is an ideal tilt vs rotation scenario…but it might change based on ball weight or ball speed and certainly all of this can vary versus bowler styles…
…so…throw what ya want…throw what works for ya. I don't think there is an ideal weight for all bowlers.
It won't be long, probably the next ball I get will be a 14lb!
Try this test to see what weight ball you should use. Take a 16#, 15# and 14# fingertip ball and put your fingers in it and then let your arm hang straight down by your side.
Then with your hand behind the ball try and cup your wrist and hold it for 10 seconds. Which weight ball can you do this more easily with? That is the weight you should use.
It all depends on your wrist strength and what kind of condition you are in. Not everyone of the same age can handle the same weight ball. The right weight is the one that you can swing and release with good balance and accuracy. Don't go with the thought that the other folks on your league are throwing 16# balls. It boils down to what you can handle the best.
Last edited by Hammer; 05-15-2015 at 04:31 PM.
Arsenal: Raw Hammer Orange/Black Hybrid 14lbs, Blue Hammer urethane 14lbs, Columbia 300 Lava Ball Plastic 14lbs, Highest scratch series 710 Bowling 38 years Never hit that 300 game. Highest game 276, had 11 strikes and one spare in the middle of that game.
I may be throwing too heavy a ball at 16lbs. My upper body strength is good (which is why I used to throw in the 19-20mph range)...and my legs have power...and I'm in decent shape per se. But I've always had small wrists. Big hands, normal forearms, but small wrists.
But again...I'll be going down to 15# soon...and if I see a dramatic improvement...I don't care if RoboArm does a test to finally prove once and for all that 16# carries better (on average)...because if 15# works better for ME...that's what I'm using. I've dabbled with the idea of trying a 14# arsenal as well...just haven't pulled that trigger yet. The downside to going from 16# to 15# is I'll have about 6 bowling balls, 5 undrilled, that I'll have to try and find a home for...and nobody really wants 16# equipment anymore. I could probably sell the RG Defiant Edge for what I paid for it because RotoGrip is a fairly popular brand and that was a popular ball...but the rest of them I'd have to take a loss on...probably offer them to local pro shops for $35/piece in store credit or $60 shipped to buyers on Ebay.
Guess I will be giving it a try, I won the DV8 Diva ball and I ordered it in a 14lb, will give me a chance to see what a 14 lb pink/purple ball can do !
For that price hopefully you can get rid of them pretty easily.
What do you have undrilled in 16lb? If you decide to sell i might be interested in some of them.
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